


Something Worth Fighting For

by dean_n_pie



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Incomplete, Kinda, M/M, Slash, au of canon, based on mulan, canon!era, long fic, movie!au, multi-chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-28 00:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dean_n_pie/pseuds/dean_n_pie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>oh my god this is gonna be such an endeavour. </p><p>so far still incomplete, I'll add better notes when I have a spare minute</p><p>based on mulan (loosely)</p><p>currently i have no schedule for when the new chapters will be up, i'm trying to organize that with myself right now</p>
    </blockquote>





	Something Worth Fighting For

**Author's Note:**

> oh my god this is gonna be such an endeavour. 
> 
> so far still incomplete, I'll add better notes when I have a spare minute
> 
> based on mulan (loosely)
> 
> currently i have no schedule for when the new chapters will be up, i'm trying to organize that with myself right now

"Merlin! Come here, sweetheart, supper's on the table!"

Merlin put down the stick he was practicing with and dashed around to the other side of the house, where he could smell his mum's cooking. Eyes flashing gold, he threw open the door and made to sit. Narrowly avoiding Hunith's spoon aimed at his head, he collapsed into his chair.

"Mum! What was that for?"

"Merlin, I've told you a thousand times, just because magic isn't outlawed here doesn't mean you can use it for your every whim! Ealdor still isn't the most liberal place, even if the bans have been lifted."

"I know, Mum, I know," Merlin said, internally rolling his eyes at his mother's tirade. Hunith was always like this when he used his magic, overly cautious and protective. 

Hunith's eyes softened. "Merlin, I only say these things because I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt. If the wrong people found out about your magic..." She trailed off, creases forming in her brow. 

Merlin jumped up from his seat and wrapped Hunith in a warm hug. "Oh Mum, I know you're only doing these things 'cause you care. It's just - I know the consequences and I'm old enough to make my own decisions." He kissed her temple, and used his fingers to smooth out the worry lines on her forehead.

Hunith chuckled. "I'm being silly, aren't I? You are old enough to make your own choices, sweetheart, and I should let you. Now, let's eat, hmm? And then you have to go talk to Will, he's been asking after you all day."

Merlin laughed. "Of course the wanker has been, he can't survive a day without me - Ow! What was that for?!"

Hunith calmy replaced the spoon. "Don't use that language at my dinner table, young man. I don't care how old you are."

"Fine, fine!" Merlin replied, rubbing his throbbing head. "Sorry, Mum."

"Good. Now, let's dig in, shall we?"

\------

"Ah, Mum, that was delicious," Merlin moaned after finishing the last bite of the pie. He licked his fingers and fork clean, then carried his plates over to the counter to be washed. He walked over to the front door and called out a passing "Going to Will's, don't wait up!" that was met with an approving "Good, that boy was pestering me all day!". 

Hopping down the front steps, Merlin made the trek over to Will's home. He let himself in, only to be pounced on by Will's little brother, Mattie.

"Merlin! Will's out back, he told me to wait for you and tell you! And I did!" Mattie said proudly. "Well? Go tell Will what a great job I did!"

Merlin carefully extricated Mattie's arms from around his middle and responded with an affirmative "Will do, Mattie. Why don't you go find Alexia? I heard she was asking about you earlier."

Mattie's eyes sparkled - he had a tiny crush on the girl. "Really? She was talking about me?"

"Really really."

"Cool! I'm gonna go find her. Thanks Merlin! And don't forget to tell Will I did what he told me to do!" Mattie ran out the door, jumping the stairs and dashing over to the Fields' house to talk to Alexia. 

Merlin shook his head fondly - Mattie reminded him of himself as a child, always running about, spastic. He walked over to the back door to find Will lounging in the yard, hands behind his head and lying on the hard ground.

"Oi! You ever gonna stop pestering my mum about me?" Merlin called.

Will hopped up immediately, looking around for Merlin. 

"Aha! There you are, you bloody bastard! Where you been all day, Merls?"

He strode over to the door, grabbing Merlin in a quick hug, before tugging on his sleeve. "Nevermind that, no time at all. Listen, mate, we need to have a little chat. It's important."

"Is this like the time when you needed to ask me what I thought of Sara's tits, even when you knew I wasn't attracted to her at all?"

Will punched his arm. "C'mon, Merls, that was one damn time. This is actually important." His face was unusually somber, no hint of laughter or joking on it. Merlin studied Will's expression, then turned around, motioning for Will to follow him.

They left the house, and wandered over to the fallen tree. Sitting on the stump, they were completely alone and thy could have a private conversation.

"What is it, Will?" Merlin asked, never having seen his friend's face so devoid of emotion.

"I heard there's a war coming."

Merlin gasped, floundering for a response. Sure, he knew the kingdoms of Camelot and Mercia were currently at odds, but he never thought the war would come to Escetir. 

"Why would it come here?" He asked Will. Will responded with a shrug.

"You know how my dad works under Cenred, yeah? Well, he heard from a 'reputable source' that Cenred made a deal with the king of Camelot - Uther. So Uther's gonna be taking some of Cenred's eligible civilians and putting them to work under his son. Can't remember his name right now, but apparently he acts like a poncy prat, my dad says. I believe him too, it's the same with all royals; it's because they're handed everything from birth, you know, and -"

Merlin cut him off with a snap. "Will, Focus. War?"

"Right, right. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, Ol' Cenred's getting some land out of the deal or something, but it's something good enough that he's willing to send us all to war for a different kingdom," Will said, look of disgust still evident on his face. 

"When are the recruitment officers coming, then?" Merlin asked. Will shook his head, replying with a short "No clue."

Merlin fell back against the fallen tree, hands rubbing at his eyes. He could be - no, _would_ be - shipped out in a few days or so. There was no one else to go in his stead, and he couldn't become a deserter - it would just come back on his mother. And after everything she's done for him, she doesn't deserve that. 

"Mate - you okay?" Will prodded, trying to catch Merlin's eye. 

"Yeah, Will, I'm brilliant. Other than potentially going to war for a nation that would have me executed just because of who I am, I'm absolutely fine. Ecstatic, even."

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed, you arse," Will grumbled, reclining to lie next to Merlin. 

They lay there for a while, watching the sun set and the moon come up, safe in the knowledge that they would always have each other's back. When it got too dark to see properly, Merlin began creating soft lights with his magic, little flames burning in the air. 

Will followed them with his eyes, slowly tracing the shapes. As it got colder out, Merlin and Will decided it was time to make their way back to their respective homes - Will because he needed to watch Mattie, and Merlin because he didn't want to stay out alone. They parted ways at the fork separating their houses from each other, Will saluting Merlin and jokingly calling him Captain ("Oh, you know you could be a captain, Merlin, you're clever and all that shite." "Shove off, Will."), and Merlin flipping him the bird. 

Merlin meandered back to his house slowly, trying to soak in the night air. For some reason, the Earth itself always smelt cleaner at night, fresher, safer. Merlin relished in it - it was why he usually would sneak out onto the roof and sit outside for a bit. He quietly entered his house and went to do just that.

Sitting outside his windowsill calmed him. It was the one moment where he could be completely himself, all without saying a word. He basked in the moonlight, letting it stir his power and simultaneously calm it. He leaned back against the side of the house and closed his eyes.

He might be going to war.

The thought itself was scary enough - that he could be going to war in a country where one tiny slip-up could have him killed? Terrifying. He sighed, rubbing his hands over the side of his face. 

"Maybe Mum was right. Maybe I should start trying to be more careful with my magic." Keeping a leash on his magic wasn't a particularly likeable notion. It went against everything he believed in - but if it was the safer option...

Merlin groaned. _This entire clusterfuck is too crazy_ , he thought. _But then again, maybe I'm making it more difficult than it needs to be. Whatever happens, I'll make it work. I always do._

\------

The next morning dawned bright and clear. The first thing Merlin heard upon waking was the steady clip-clop of hooves on the road. He pulled the curtains of his window open and saw a small gathering of people standing around a group of men on horses. Men bearing the Camelot insignia. The leader of the group was a tall red-haired man; he had an authoritative air about him. 

Merlin began hyperventilating. He hadn't even told his mother this would be happening. Reluctantly making his way downstairs, he was met with his mother's worried gaze.

Merlin cut her off before she could even begin. "Just, uh - just stay inside, Mum. I'll go and see what's going on."

Smiling tiredly, he walked out the door, feeling his mother's gaze burning into his back the entire way. 

Once he made it to the outskirts of the little group, he craned his neck to look for Will. He didn't see him anywhere. So he listened to the tall one speak. 

"Good morning, gentlemen. As you are no doubt aware, the powerful nation of Camelot has recently been attacked by Mercia." Shocked gasps went up all around, showing the people's surprise. Mercia attacking Camelot? It was a defiant move on Mercia's part.

The tall man continued. "King Uther has made a pact with King Cenred- the trade of soldiers for land. We will be taking a certain number of men from every village to help bolster our numbers on the front. If you are eligible, you will first be serving under Prince Arthur, who will be observed by the King's royal advisor, Lord Agravaine."

He pulled out a scroll of names, unrolling it and beginning to call men forward. "If your name is called, please step up and take your own scroll. It will have instructions that you are required to follow. Follow them to the letter."

"Peter Adair. Blaise Amtour. Damien Castle."

Merlin glanced around worriedly, looking again for Will. If his name was called and he wasn't here to accept the scroll, he could possibly be claimed a deserter and outlawed from the nation itself. 

"Olaf Daira. Merlin Emrys."

His heart sank. Merlin slowly stepped forward, throat beginning to close up, and numbly took the scroll from another man's hand. He didn't register the other names called, but instead stared dumbly at the paper he held. Shaking his head, he resolutely tucked it away, resolving to look at it later. He scanned the crowd for Will once more, finally finding the mop of brown hair standing tall on the other side.

"Sven Pritzel. George Rushnam. Wyatt Sullivan. William Thompson."

Will stepped forward, face set as stone. He took the scroll from the man's hand, then slowly turned on his heel and walked away. Merlin watched him go, then began to give chase, only half listening as the tall man began to give a speech thanking those who would serve, and what they could expect to see on the front. 

Merlin followed Will until Will reached his house. Stalking inside, Merlin watched as Will threw the scroll into a corner and collapsed onto the one small armchair in the room. Merlin awkwardly perched in between the chair and the counter, wondering if he should comfort Will or let him work through it himself. He elected to do the latter, and went to lean against the counter.

Head in his hands, Will began mumbling broken sounds. "Merlin, I can't - I can't go off to a war. Who's going to take care of Mattie when mum and dad are at work, who's gonna cook him dinner and entertain him, who's gonna listen to him for hours about his stupid crush-"

Merlin quickly changed his plan of attack and instead went to go kneel by the chair, gripping Will with one hand and forcing Will to look at him. "No one is just gonna leave Mattie out on the streets. Hell, my mum'll take care of him, you know that. So calm down, Will, everything will work out in the end."

"How are - how are you not freaking out right now?" Will whispered. Merlin gave a dry chuckle.

"Oh, believe me, I am. But you need some comfort right now so I'm putting my fears on the back burner for the moment being."

"I don't deserve you, Merls." 

"That's right, you don't," Merlin replied. "So how 'bout we go talk to my mum, figure out how the situation can work, and freak out later?" Merlin winced, remembering how he hadn't yet told his mum about what had happened. He resigned himself to a difficult conversation in the future, and hauled Will up. Will pulled him into a quick bone-crushing hug, patting him on the back twice. 

They left Will's house and made for Merlin's, noticing as they went that the tall, red-haired man and his 3 companions had left. They picked up their pace, wanting to explain the situation to Hunith before someone else did.

\------

"You're going off _where?_ "

Merlin cowered under Hunith's terrorizing gaze. He was right; she didn't take the news easily.

"Camelot, to fight -" He tried to say, before getting cut off by Hunith.

"To Camelot, yes! The one land where punishment for magic is worse than the punishment for murder! Really, Merlin, how could you accept this?" Hunith said, pacing the floor of their small kitchen.

"It wasn't like I had an option, Mum - deserting would only come back to hurt you!"

"Oh, love, you don't need to worry about me. But you're putting yourself at such risk for another kingdom, one that isn't even friendly to your kind!" Hunith cried, throwing her arms in the air.

Merlin went over and gripped her in a tight hug, burying his face into her shoulder. "Mum, I promise. Everything will be alright. I'll be fine. You know me, always careful." He grinned cheekily, causing Hunith to stroke his cheek fondly.

"Oh, Merlin, it isn't you I'm worried about. It's everyone else, how they'll react to it," Hunith fretted, brushing a hand through Merlin's hair.

He smiled softly at her, before kissing her cheek and whispering a small "Love you, Mum." He turned on his heel and walked away, grabbing Will and his bag from the other room as he went.

"You better come back home in one piece, young man! I'll drag you home myself if I have to!" Hunith called after them. Merlin spun around, walking backwards, and waved.

They continued on, walking toward their destiny.


End file.
